Texans owner Bob McNair applauds youngsters who sang the national anthem before the game.

Texans owner Bob McNair applauds youngsters who sang the national anthem before the game.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and his teammates stand for the national anthem.

49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) and his teammates stand for the national anthem.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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Texans quarterback Case Keenum warms up before a preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Texans quarterback Case Keenum warms up before a preseason football game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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Girl Scouts wait to take the field to present the colors before a preseason football game between the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers.

Girl Scouts wait to take the field to present the colors before a preseason football game between the Houston Texans and the San Francisco 49ers.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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Morning after: Passed up QBs shine as Texans' Keenum, Savage slide

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The battle between Case Keenum and Tom Savage became a San Francisco blowout. The Texans have two backup quarterbacks but might not have one. Derek Carr, Blake Bortles, Jimmy Garoppolo and Teddy Bridgewater would look much sharper in blue and red.

That’s what a 40-13 home beatdown and 16-of-29 combined passing for 113 yards, two interceptions and a 35.6 passer rating does to Texans QBs not named Ryan Fitzpatrick in an instant-gratification league. Even in the preseason.

As soon as Savage guided the Texans to an 18-17 come-from-behind victory last Saturday in Denver, the Texans’ final exhibition game against the 49ers became a Keenum vs. Savage showdown for the right to back up The Quarterback With The Beard.

Prior to zero red-zone sightings and 155 net offensive yards, even O’Brien said Game Four could decide who’d take second reps in practice once the games became real. After the blowout — the Texans’ second of the preseason — a coach who hinted Tuesday the team could keep all three of its current QBs acknowledged the organization’s think tank first needed to reconvene before a final decision is made.

“We’ll take a good look at it,” O’Brien said. “We’ll meet as a staff on it and we’ll decide what to do, what’s best for the team. If keeping these three quarterbacks is what’s best for the team, then that’s what we’ll do. But just coming in here off the field, it’s something that we can’t answer right now. We have to go upstairs and figure it out and watch some more tape and meet as a staff and go from there.”

Keenum (8-of-17, 70 yards, interception, 33.9 rating) left the stadium before speaking to the media, which was a rarity for the press-friendly QB.

Savage (8-of-12, 43 yards, one pick-six, 37.8) was as honest as a rookie can be.

“It’s going to be a good adventure for me, I think,” Savage said. “I think as a young player you’ve got to be able to handle these situations and, trust me, it sucks to lose. Excuse my language but it’s just the tough feeling.

“As a competitor, you want to go out and win. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing checkers or football. So it stings. But you’ve just got to keep improving.”

Asked if he is still comfortable with Keenum and Savage as QBs, O’Brien said the team remains fine with the duo, while acknowledging the Texans are gladly moving on to the regular season.

“They put a lot of work in, even though tonight was not a great night, it is a body of work and there has been some decent play from those guys, so we are comfortable,” O’Brien said.

Despite the constant ineptitude on offense and defense, there was one positive Thursday at NRG. O’Brien saved his best quote of the preseason for the night the exhibition dance ended.

“What is the deal with comfort-level questions?” O’Brien asked, with a slight tinge of sarcasm.

As for the quarterbacks that were available before the Texans selected Savage with the No. 135 overall pick during the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft: